And there are plenty of faux cheminees to be had along rue de St.Peres.

Micha found her 19th century furnace in the celler and installed it as a decorative object. You have to search for the chauffage or heater in a French apartment. They are usually situated below the window. So they can warm up the drafts coming in through the leaky French windows.

I only found the portable radiateur in the bedroom, the last day whilst I was cleaning...ahem

Great post, Carol!! I smiled all the way through it--wonderful. You know--I toured a house even in South Carolina once that was an old plantation home, and they said one of the reasons they had "screens" in front of the fireplace was so women would not get too close sitting there--even if it was very cold...If they did, they would melt the WAX on their faces. Many of the women evidently had had smallpox and as a result were quite disfigured, so they put wax over their faces to make it look smoother! Your post made me remember that.

I love these different subjects, too, Carol--excellent!! I'll bet the Seine does contribute to the chill--I remember it often seemed gray in the mornings, but then the sun would burn off that fogginess. But winter can be cold, I remember.

I love these different subjects, too, Carol--excellent!! I'll bet the Seine does contribute to the chill--I remember it often seemed gray in the mornings, but then the sun would burn off that fogginess. But winter can be cold, I remember.

Just reading your blog-- great pix and paintings!I just wanted to mention one thing...The sentence you wrote-- Comment fonctionne le chauffe--It should be- Comment fonctionne le chauffage?You have the word "heater" correct in French in the followingsentence..

I shivered as I read your post. I grew up in post war Belgium and I don't think I was ever really warm enough from fall till spring. Now I live in the NW. Same climate but I keep my house warm and comfy, plus I indulge in hot chocolate!Your posts are delightful. Françoise

It is customary to put the heat sources by the windows in this country, too. My engineers claim it's done that way for the reason you suspected: to temper the cold air from the windows. However, they are obviously not gardeners: the best place to overwinter plants is in a sunny window- but not with a heating vent there treating the plants to a nice desert wind!

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♥carol gillott♥

Paris, Ile de France, France

I moved to Paris 2 years ago. I should have done it sooner but that's how the macaron crumbles. Living on the Ile Saint Louis next to the Seine after the 19eme is 'la cerise sur la gâteau'. It doesn't get any better. I've painted watercolors for Bocuse, Champagne Mumm, Guerlain, Frederick Cassel, The Russian Tearoom and the Maharana of Udaipur.
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